However as the insightful comments above show, the issues surrounding bike lanes are many and complex, and aren’t adequately covered by snatches like this:

Barber says more dedicated cycling lanes for commuters on key arterial routes into the city are needed, and “separation” from cars is crucial: 78 per cent of accidents involve cyclists crashing into car doors as they are being carelessly opened.

This ignores that “separation” simply is not going to happen everywhere—somewhere, sometime just about every rider will have to deal with other forms of traffic.

And let’s not forget, as jimmay notes, that bike lanes often bring cyclists into the door zone.

But those signs that Rob pointed to could be very helpful (although I’d skip the time designations).

To encourage new riders cities and organisations like Bicycle Victoria promote on road bicycle lanes and separation from motorised traffic. To appease motoring lobbies they do the same. The losers are the riders themselves who suffer drivers believing riders have no place as legitmate traffic whilst they have on road bike lanes or “facilities” built for them at great and unnecessary expense.

Research from learned researchers and commentators like Forrester (et al), show bicycle riders fair best when bicycles are “driven” in a vehicular manner on the roadway.

Cities could do better by adopting signage that positively directs drivers attention to bicycles having full lane useage and drivers should change lanes to pass etc. (Such as these mentioned here.. ). These more positive approaches redirect drivers and riders attention away from the bicycle being a vulnerable unwanted road user to becoming a valid and legitmate “vehicle” in every sense of the word.

I share your agnostic view whilst cities and organisations that should know better continue to place bicycle riders at risk by introducing more and more so called “separation” facillities.

The experienced cyclist will use the lanes as if they weren’t painted there, but I think it takes a couple of scares to get there.

I would certainly like to see BV and other bodies issue guidelines for bike lanes designed to reduce common types of accidents: * Reduce merges from bike lanes (slow) with faster motor traffic approaching from behind. * Avoid T-intersections. * Maintain sight lines — do not encourage cyclists to ride on the extreme left of roundabouts and T intersections. * Do not put bicycle lanes in the door zone.

I think a well designed bike lane would teach cyclists how to ride in traffic.